WELCOME TO WEEK 2!

1. WELCOME TO WEEK 2!

2. Course Wiki: http://libr1mtsacfall2013.pbworks.com/

5. Information Literacy, as defined by the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science is: Skill in finding the information one needs, including an understanding of how libraries are organized, familiarity with the resources they provide (including information formats and automated search tools), and knowledge of commonly used research techniques. The concept also includes the skills required to critically evaluate information content and employ it effectively, as well as an understanding of the technological infrastructure on which information transmission is based, including its social, political, and cultural context and impact. In other words, Information Literacy is all about navigating through the enormous amount of information we are surrounded by in today's society and being able make decisions and use critical thinking skills to gather quality sources of information.  We all know there are millions of hits after a Google search, but the important question for such a search is: How can we utilize Google better to find quality sources? We always want quality over quantity when we are searching for information. 

7. C.R.A.A.P. Test Currency Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyrqMI7OmE

9. CURRENCY • When was the information published or posted?  • 2. Has the information been revised or updated? • 3. Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?  • 4. (For a Web page) Are the links functional? • Many times, websites will post a date or "last updated" on the web page some where near the top (especially if it is an article) or near the bottom of the page.  If you can't find a date of publication then you should not use the source.  • Just because the source you found is old, doesn't mean it doesn't pass the Currency test. When you are considering a source for currency, you need to keep your topic in mind. 

11. RELEVANCE • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? • 2. Who is the intended audience? • 3. Is the information at the appropriate level? (i.e. not to elementary or advanced for your needs) • 4. Have you looked at a variety of sources before deciding this is the one you will use? • 5. Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper? • Relevance is something you, the researcher, must determine. • You may be able to tell from the first few lines, or even the title, that the source is not relevant to your topic. On the other hand, you may feel that a little more time spent examining the source is worth your time. Summaries (also known as "abstracts") and conclusions, as well as the sources that the paper cites itself, can be clues to how relevant the source is to your topic. If a source is not relevant to your topic, don't use it. 

13. AUTHORITY • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor? • 2. What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations? • 3. Is the author qualified to write on the topic?  • 4. Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address? • 5. (For online sources) Does the Web address tell you anything about the author or source? For example: .gov or .com • If you can not find the author or responsible party for the source, do not use it. It is not always necessary to find an "expert" in order to use a source. In fact, very often we find information online that is not written by an expert. For example, if you were to be researching tsunamis and you found an interview with a person who actually experienced a tsunami and want to use some of their descriptions, that is totally fine. The person may not be an expert about the scientific aspects of tsunamis, but their descriptions may very well be relevant to your topic. 

15. ACCURACY • Where does the information come from?  • 2. Is the information supported by evidence? • 3. Has the information been reviewed or refereed? • 4. Can you verify the information in another source or from personal experience? • 5. Does the language seem unbiased and free of emotion? • 6. Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?  • Accuracy, like relevance, takes a fair amount of time to for you, the researcher, to determine. If the information you find in a source is not accurate, or you can not say it is accurate with a great deal of confidence, do not use it.

17. PURPOSE • What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade? • 2. Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? • 3. Is their information fact, opinion, or propaganda? • 4. Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? • 5. Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases? • You may notice right away that there is a connection between Purpose and Accuracy because we are concerned with bias. If something is biased, we typically to not consider it accurate. If something is biased, we also know part of its purpose is to spread that bias. If the Purpose of the information you find does not match the needs of your research, do not use it. 

18. Homework • Read Badke’s Chapter 2 and 8.5 (Quiz next week) • Apply the CRAAP Test to www.dmho.org. • Write it on a blank piece of paper, typed. Bring to class. • Remember to look at the course Wiki. • I will email you the link (Mt SAC student email).